MAY 25
CATHOLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
Neumann-Goretti 8, Bonner 7 (14 inn.)
  Today’s games was scheduled for 3:45, but the first pitch didn’t come until 3:57. No big deal, right? I’ll be home in plenty of time for the start of the Phillies’ game at 8:15. Umm, not so fast. I didn’t enter the house until a little after 9 o’clock. And the reason being was that the Saints and Friars went at in for FOURTEEN innings in a game that took 4 hours and 15 minutes to play. The fourteen innings is the longest in PCL playoff history, and ties the city mark for longest playoff game. In ’71, Roxborough nipped Frankford, 1-0, in a Pub Semifinal. As you can imagine all kinds of numbers to talk about in this one, but let’s mention some highlights first. Bonner plated two in the top of the first on a RBI-single by jr. 3B/RHP Frank Saviski and a sac fly by sr. 1B Ronnie Scull. The Saints would cut that lead in half with an unearned run in their half. This came courtesy of sr. CF Jimmy Kerrigan’s sac fly to center. Moving to the top of the third, Bonner would increase their lead to, 4-1. Scull plated the third run on a hard single between first and second. Then, the fourth came across on a sac fly by jr. C Dan Furman. The Saints would again answer in their half of the third. Sr. C Nick Nardini (2-for-6, W, 3 R’s) scored on a triple down into the rightfield corner by sr. LF Joey Gorman (2-for-6, HBP, 3 R’s) and Gorman came across when the relay throw was thrown wildly out of play. Two batters later, impressive soph. 1B Josh Ockimey hit a bolt just to the right of dead center field and over the 400’ marker for a solo home run. Can you say wicked shot? Anyway, the blast made the score, 4-4. From here, Bonner would add single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively. Both runs were scored off of errors. The Saints would knot it up in their half of the fifth. Again, a fielding miscue would be prevalent, as sr. RHP/3B Joe Kinee’s ground ball with two outs was misplayed into the Saints’ 5th and 6th runs of the game. As we moved to the seventh neither team’s starting pitcher was still on the mound. For the Saints, jr. RHP John LaMotta was on the mound and he had already worked a 1-2-3 sixth. In what we thought (Hoping?, smile) would be Bonner’s last time up frosh. 2B Rich Tecco (3-for-6, R) led-off with a walk to turn the line-up over. Next, jr. SS Jim Haley (3-for-5, 3 R’s, 2 HBPs, W, 2 SBs) pushed a perfect bunt up the first base line for a hit. Momentum was momentarily dashed when Tecco was picked-off at second by LaMotta for the first out. However, after a strikeout and a Jim Haley swipe of second, Saviski lashed a double to left-center to give the Friars a 7-6 lead. In N-G’s half things started off great when Ockimey (2-for-4, 3 W’s) laced a double that short-hopped the wall in deep left-center, but Saviski fanned both Kerrigan and Kinee to seemingly restore order. However, disaster struck moments later when a soft roller to the mound turned into anything but a routine final out. Saviski uncorked a slightly high throw that somehow avoided Scull at first. It was hard to tell if the sun played a part, but the misplay allowed the run to score and ultimately sent the game into extra innings. In the extra frames chances were few and far between for the Friars, as LoMatta really maintained control and threw the ball well. In the 8th (Saviski) and 9th (Scull) Bonner’s innings ended with long fly balls to the fence in left-center. For the Saints, their best chance to score came in the 9th when Kinee was plunked to start the inning and then was sacrificed to second by jr. 2B Joe Glennon. Next, sr. DH Mario DiFebbo lined a single to left, but Kinee was nailed at home off a great throw by sr. Paul-Mike Rementer. The Saints also had multiple base-runners in the 8th and 10th innings, but couldn’t produce that timely hit. By the end of the 12th inning the umpires and respective managers had begun discussions to address the pending darkness. The thought was that the 13th inning would be the last and if the score remained tied, then the game would be suspended and resumed at another time. However, just 15 total pitches were needed to retire both teams in that inning, so again those in charge conferenced and they decided that one inning more inning could be completed. For Bonner in the 14th, Tecco singled with one out. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. He later moved to third on a ground out by Jim Haley. Next, jr. RHP Pat Vanderslice lined a shot that came within roughly six inches of being fair down the left field line and giving the Friars the lead. LaMotta eventually retired Vanderslice on a lazy fly ball to center to end the threat. Ok, now to N-G’s game-winning inning. N-G would put three balls in play in this inning and I’m not sure that they combined a total of 90-feet. Still, it would be good enough for the win. Nardini led-off with a swinging bunt up the third base line. Next, Gorman pushed a bunt up the first base side and a misplay allowed it to be safe all around. Then, with the count 0-2 on sr. SS Marty Venafro, and both runners moving, he bunted a ball on a pitch near eye level, that found open space down the third base line. Saviski went to cover third with the runners moving, or he may have caught the ball in the air for a possible triple-play. Not to be, and the sacks were loaded for N-G’s most dangerous hitter, Ockimey. Vanderslice, who threw the ball well, was now in his 7th inning of work. Knowing he had to be careful with the dangerous Ockimey he fell behind and then could never regroup. Ockimey walked on four pitches and that finally ended the game. Phew!! Here are some pitching numbers in the game. Kinee (106 pitches, 66 strikes), who has been a stalwart for the Saints all year, wasn’t overly sharp at times today. He went 5 innings, allowed 9 runs, 6 runs (4 ER), walked two, and fanned 5. His replacement, LaMotta, was sensational. Talk about pounding the strike zone. Five of his nine innings pitched featured 9 pitches or less. He only threw 97 pitches in his 9 innings of work and an amazing 76 of them were strikes. His final line: 9 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 W, 10 K’s. Very clutch! For Bonner, sr. RHP/RF Joe Haley (102 pitches, 68 strikes) made the start. He more than likely deserved a better fate. All total, he worked 5.1 IP, allowed 4 hits, 6 runs (3 ER), 4 W’s, and 2 K’s. Saviski went 1.2 and fanned three. As mentioned, Vanderslice (88 pitches, 57 strikes) was very good in relief, too. He ended up going 6+, 5 H, 1 unearned run, 4 W’s, and 2 K’s. Ok, now it’s numbers time. The pitchers combined for 424 pitches thrown. Kudos to each team’s catchers (Nardini/Furman) for putting in a full day’s work and then some. 132 total players came to bat in this game. 54 players reached base in some form. The teams combined to go 8-for-46 with RISP and had a total of 33 LOB’s. There were 14 combined errors. Seven of the 15 runs were unearned. The Saints will now try for their third PCL Championship in the last four years. They’ll take on a very good La Salle team, a 10-0 winner over Carroll in the other semifinal, on Tuesday (2:30) afternoon at Widener.

MAY 22

PCL QUARTERFINALS

Bonner 5, Ryan 3

MAY 21
CATHOLIC LEAGUE 1ST ROUND
SJ Prep 4, O'Hara 3
     Alas, yours truly finally found himself on the baseball trail this spring. Fatherly duties at home have prevented me from taking in any baseball action this spring, as I typically pick up my son, Jack (see pics above), from my mother's right after school. Jack celebrated his first birthday on May 6th. Where has the time gone? Well, everything is great on that front, but not without the price of zero PCL baseball action. Smile! But yes, there is always playoff time, and the chance that Teddy S. will come a calling. Today's assignment took my up the road from home base to O'Hara, for a 1st RD playoff game between the PCL Red's 6-seed Hawks and 3-seed Lions. On an overcast day, the Hawks plated four in the visiting sixth to overcome 2-0 deficit, thus prevailing them into a quarterfinal contest with archrival LaSalle. The Lions scored single runs in the 2nd and fourth innings to grab the early lead. Sr. RF Bob Ieradi tripled to lead-off the second and then scored on a fielder's choice by jr. CF Nick Donovan. In the fourth, a two-out hit by sr. John Kane (2-for-3) plated sr. C Devin McCann for the Lions' second run. Entering the top of the sixth, O'Hara starter jr. RHP Mark Onimus had only allowed three singles and retired nine of the last ten Hawks he had faced. However, soph. CF Jawan McAllister began the rally by stroking a two-hop double to the fence in left. After a fly ball out, sr. 1B Skyler Mornhinweg (3-for-4) singled up the middle. McAllister was held at third, but the throw from center went to the backstop and allowed Mornhinweg to advance to second. McAllister would make it, 2-1, when he scored on a wild pitch. This was the beginning of the unraveling for Onimus and Co. Jr. LF Shane Williams followed with a walk, but on ball four the Lions try to throw down to third in hopes of catching Mornhinweg napping. Not to be, as the ball skipped down the leftfield line and allowed Mornhinweg to score and tie the game. Sr. 2B Kyle Gillen (2-for-4) followed with a hit. Soon after, the Hawks snatched the lead when jr. C Tim Rafter (2-for-3) single brought around Williams. Sr. 3B Sean Connolly followed with walk to load the bases. The Hawks fourth tally of the inning came when sr. RF Chris Stallings, who had just entered the game an inning earlier, laced a clean hit to left. This would mark the end of Onimus' day. Sr. SS/RHP Mike Schneider would end the foray by retiring the next two Hawks, but the damage had been done. In the home half of the sixth the Lions would draw a little closer when sr. 1B Steve Trainor (2-for-2, HBP) stole home after Kane, who was on first, was caught in a rundown situation. The Hawks were unable to record an out on the play, and Trainor scored to make it, 4-3. In the home seventh, the Lions were able to kick-up a little fuss, but the Hawks made two terrific defensive plays to preserve the win. Sr. LF Sean Rogers reached on an error. Soph. INF John Banes was summoned to pinch run and was nicely sacrificed to second by jr. DH/3B Scott Grinnan. Next, Schnieder scooted a ball towards the middle, but Gillen surrounded it and calmly nipped a head-first sliding Schnieder at first on a bang-bang play. From my viewpoint the call appeared to be the correct one. Then, with two outs and Banes representing the tying run at third, McCann hit a routine groundball to Connolly to third. Connolly's throw bounced well short, but Mornhinweg stayed with it and made a nice scoop on a difficult chance. Clutch! For the Hawks, sr. RHP Ryan Winton went the distance. He didn't overpower the Lions, but was around the plate all day, mostly working ahead. His line read:7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 W, 2 K (101 pitches; 73 strikes). Not once did I witness him appear to be flustered and he really pounded the strike zone. For O'Hara, Onimus worked 5 1/3 innings; allowing 8 hits and 4 ER. He K'd and walked three apiece. He threw 94 pitches (54 strikes). The Hawks now have the inevitable task of trying to take down the Explorers, who breezed through the PCL Red with 12-0 record, outscoring their opponents along the way, 117-20. Rumor has it that I'll be out once again on Tuesday for some additional PCL playoff action. Nice!!